Tottenham captain Cristian Romero left the pitch in tears after an eight-minute stoppage in the second half of Spurs’ Premier League defeat at Sunderland. The skipper collided with his own goalkeeper, Antonin Kinsky, as the pair sought to prevent Brian Brobbey from going through on goal. The Sunderland striker shoved Romero, who then suffered a nasty collision with his team-mate at the Stadium of Light that left Kinsky cut.
After a lengthy stoppage, despite rising to his feet, Romero was forced off and replaced by Kevin Danso. The Argentina centre-back cried on his way off the field and was consoled by his team-mates, while Roberto De Zerbi patted the skipper on the back. His emotions will spark fears that the centre-back faces a stint on the sidelines while the north Londoners are deep into a relegation battle. Sunderland won 1-0 courtesy of Nordi Mukiele’s heavily deflected strike in the 61st minute.
Keeper Kinsky required head bandages but was able to play on after undergoing concussion checks. And former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara was fuming on Sky Sports News, arguing Brobbey should have been dismissed for his involvement in the incident.
O’Hara said: “He [Romero] appears to be coming off in tears. Romero runs into Kinsky, Kinsky cuts his head. Brobbey pushed Romero into Kinsky. He shouldn’t be on the pitch. Referee Rob Jones is having an absolute stinker. He’s had three red cards.”
While former Chelsea and Everton forward Pat Nevin reflected on BBC Radio 5 Live: “If the player who hits you with his knee on your head needs treatment, then that tells you that there was quite a bit of force in the collision.”
Romero, 27, only recently returned from a four-game suspension for his second Premier League red card of the season. He missed the draw at Liverpool last month, the only point Spurs won under former interim manager Igor Tudor, due to concussion protocols after a clash of heads with Joao Palhinha in a Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid.
The trip to Sunderland was De Zerbi’s first match in charge after the Italian replaced the axed Tudor over the March international break. Due to injuries and suspensions, Romero has been limited to 23 appearances in Spurs’ 32 Premier League matches this term, scoring four goals.
Defeat at Sunderland leaves Tottenham winless in the Premier League in 2026 and inside the relegation zone. The 18th-placed Londoners are two points adrift of West Ham with six games to go.
De Zerbi’s first home match will see Spurs host his former club, Brighton, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next Saturday evening.
Spurs’ most recent top-flight victory was on December 28 when they won 1-0 away at Crystal Palace. They have since gone over 100 days, and 14 games, without a win in the league while accumulating one point from their last available 24.